Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge

There are more trips to tell, but I think I should start with the current one and work backwards.

Last Sunday was a day trip. We drove down I-15 and then I-5 to Imperial Beach, one of the last towns before the border, to the Tijuana Slough wildlife refuge and nature area. It's part of the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, and there is another wildlife refuge farther south. We intend to wander through that one as well, on another Sunday.
It's easy to get to. Going south on I-5, take the Coronado Avenue exit (Exit 4) and go west. Coronado turns into Imperial Blvd. Turn left on 4th and right on Caspian Way.

At the parking lot there's an interpretive center with racks of birding and environmental information, helpful staff, and a few interesting displays that are worth a few minutes. Then grab a trail map and go for a walk, beginning along the fence of a naval air station. The trails aren't complicated and it's very flat with no shade, but there's an ocean breeze to fool you into thinking you're not getting a sunburn.

We took a closeup of a large and complicated cholla. Touch one of those spines at your peril.

The several trails and loops connect to the Tijuana river mouth, where hundreds of pelicans hung out on a far bank, and on another little island in the stream, egrets and a cormorant. We forgot to take a picture of the river!

We didn't exactly go to Mexico, but you can see it, the hills rising up behind Tijuana with buildings large and small. What stands out is the bull ring, abandoned now, but an icon to the Tijuana experience. The Coronado Islands of Mexico are visible offshore.

When we got to the river we met a white-bearded fellow on a bicycle, who has lived in this neighborhood for 30 years. He had a worriesome cough but was full of joy about this place. He said the city of Tijuana wants to tear down the bull ring, because it's not only unused but in a deteriorated condition. But that old timers like himself object, because they are attached to history.

Mike commented that if we were British tourists, we would have reported back on meeting a friendly American character. And of course, we can report the same.